Railroad train-order system.



UNITED sTArE's" PATENT onirica.

ewrLYM e. THOMAS, or AMITE, LOUISIANA.

RAILROAD TRAIN-ORDER SYSTEM.

To all whom t may .con/06PM:

Be it known that I, .GrWiumM G, THOMAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Amite, in theparish of Tangipahoa and Stateof Louisiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RailroadTrain-Order Systems, of which the following is a specification.l

This invention relates to railway train-order systems, the object of theinvention being to provide a simple order-blank system for railroads bymeans of which the more important items of the order or instructions maybe comprehended at a glance and the more detailed items of the order orinstructions conveyed in the usual manner.

A great many accidents are brought about by lack of time and inabilityof the operator to quickly comprehend and thoroughly understand thesignificance of orders delivered to him at the various stations alongthe road, and the loss of many lives and property is occasioned thereby.The aim of the present invention is to guard against such loss byintroducing a simple order system, the significance of which may bereadily comprehended at a Glance.

With the above and other objects in view, the nature of which will morefully appear as the description roceeds, the invention consists in thenovell) construction, combination,

` and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described,illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively,represent t e several forms of train-order blank necessary to a carryingout of the system.

The train-order blanks shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 are the counterpartof each other, with the exception of the marginal colors represented oneach of the blanks. For instance, form 1 shown in Fig. 1 contains at itseXtreme left margin a red color line or space 1 and just inside of andfollowing the red space is a green line or space 2. In form 2, Fig. 2,the green space 2 precedes the red space or line 1. In form 3, Fig. 3,the red and green color-lines are located at the right-hand end of theorder-blank, the red 1 preceding the green 2. In form 4, Fig. 4, thegreen line or space 2 precedes the redl line or space 1;

Each blank ordinarily contains the name of the railroad, as shown, andalsoy contains such designating words as date, time, station, and trainnumber, with spaces following such words wherein the operator may writethe -Spscificat-,ion or Letters Patent.

Application filed .Margit Z7. 19.06, Serial No.- 595,319!

Patented April 9, 19o?.

necessary data to indicate the date, time, station, and the number ofthe train to which the order-blank refers. Each order-blank may be inthe form of a sheet or card, leaving sufficient space 3 in which towrite the full order in detail. The principal items of the order are,however, indicated by the red and green lines or spaces, and it will beseen that such instructions are comprehended at a glance. For example,in form 1 the colors precede the written message. The leading color isred, which indicates danger in all cases, the green following the redindicating caution. Form 1 in its language without any written messagetells the trainman of danger ahead and indicates that he must observecaution to the neXt switch and that a train is coming to meet his train.rIhe remainder of the message informs him as to where the passing placewill be. The red calls for the undivided attention of the engineer, andvthe green following informs him that something is to be done to avoidthe danger ahead, the written message informing him as to just what isnecessary -to be done. In form 2 the green precedes the red, and beinglocated at the left-hand end of the orderblank, indicates danger ahead,as before. The green coming first informs him that he must observecaution, the red indicating that there is danger ahead, the message ofthe color lines or spaces conveying the instructions to him to watch thespeed of his train and not proceed too fast. In form 3 the messageprecedes the colors, indicating that what the message has to do with iscoming' after, the same way as the train that receives the message istraveling. The red precedes the green, thus indicating that all possiblecaution is necessary to avoid danger, or, in other words, that theliagman must be on the alert. The written message tells what is to bedone under the circumstances. For instance, it may indicate that thetrain will side-track for the other to pass or otherwise; but the signalindicated by the colors on the orderblank indicates danger ahead andcalls for caution. In form 4, as in form 3, the message precedes thecolors, the green occurring first and being followed by the red, whichconveys the instructions that nothing but strict observance of themessage written will avoid a calamity and that lives and property are indanger. It will thus be understood that the main items of the message orinstructions contained on the order blank delivered to the IOO IIO

trainman are comprehended in an instant.

and by a mere glance at the order-blank thus put the trainman on thealert immediately, even before he reads the detailed message Written onthe blank.

I claim` A train-order system embodying a series of order-blanks, eachhaving a space of suitable size-and shape to receive a Written messageor set of instructions, said blanks being provided with red and greencolor lines or marks and arranged for use in pairs, one pair beingadapted to designate by the colors thereon general instructionspertaining to possible contingencies ahead and the other pair beingadaptedto designate by the colors thereon general instructionspertaining to possible contingencies in rear, said colors indicating theblanks of the other pair following the,

message space, the colored lines upon the respective blanks of each pairbeing reversed in precedence of arrangement. 1 In testimony whereof Ia-Hix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GVILYM G. THOMAS. lVitnesses Y JNO. B. LAWRENCE, `Lonrs LEFEVRE.

